A new start for Mooloo

Savvy_sewing

Errata wrote: »

Sounds like better news for the twins. What's in place to stop the lightfingered boyfriend extracting the cash the second it goes into the bank account ?

Alas, I cannot guarantee the latter!!But so far he is unaware that it is coming in. So if Twin2 can just clear the debts off, then there will only be about £300 left. She wants a new bed with that. The sofa bed is broken.
But I feel I have done the best I can on her behalf, and there is little more I can do. If she is not going to listen to me, I am unable to help anymore.

Savvy_sewing

Twin2 just asked me to check her account. It has been cleared. She must now makesure that her BF doesnt use it,and that she gets it cancelled ASAP. That also means that she has to get her CHildbenefit Paid into her new Savings Account, and not continue to be paid into the old account. I have been telling her this one for about 6 months. I do not have the authority with Child benefit, unfortunately.!
She has gone and told her BF about the money already.! She is offering me £200 of it to go towards the bills etc. Which, is better then a kick up the proverbial I suppose. I will be grateful when I receive it,.(I fear he will persuade her otherwise).
I am waiting for DS to contact me to collect him after college.
I hope his father forwarded the informtion about the apprenticeship he needed. The sooner we know what to expect the sooner I can work out what we can do.

Savvy_sewing

If I wasnt feeling low enough, I am now. Just had a row on the phone with Twin1,as she wants me to take her supermarket shopping. I said that it would be a bit pricy petrol wise, if I wasnt going in that direction for anything else. But I was going to, then she told me she was going to go on a double date with the girl that left her to walk home alone, without any money, in that awful weather on the weekend, (And who was the girl who sent me death threats a few months back!). I said that I didnt think she respected me much, after all that was said previously, etc. She hung upon me, saying I didnt want her to be happy!. I rang straight back, asked her not to hang up on me, but she just raised her voice etc, so I told her that I needed to adjust to my feelings and wouldnt be taking her shopping.
(There is an Aldi and Iceland about 10 mins walk away. so I havent left her totally stranded.).
I just feel so angry. I know they have learning difficulties, but I am just so fed up of being used, and my feelings and abilities never taken into consideration.!!
Now I feel guilty that I have argued with her.
Biggest of Mooloo says she doesnt blame me, and that when she took DGD back yesterday, Twin1 didn't even say thankyou to her.
Sometimes feel I have a very ungrateful family,!

Had Egg on Toast for my tea, so that wasabout 30p! Save the mince till tomorrow when DS is back home.
DS has decided to stay at Biggest of Mooloo's again tonight.

Savvy_sewing

Twin1 has telephoned me to say that she is sorry for arguing with me. Reckons that she has told her friend to leave her alone as its interferring in her relationship with me. I hope that that is true. But I would rather it had been that she wasntgoing to put up with the treatment she gets from her so called friend.

We have talked about doing her shopping on line for her. When I go to get DGD on Wednesdays, I can get her list etc done. (IF I can borrow my Dads Dongle, we can do it on line together. If I cannot then I will just have to get her list from her). We will see.

On the other hand I have posted my Budget for the coming year, on the Live on £4,000 a year challenge. I shall have to follow that one, and similar ones for my dear life, if I am to get through the changes ahead.
I am thinking of asking DS for £30 a week towards his board and lodgings? He is not here to discuss it at the moment.
So my budget sounds much better then the 4669.60 that I will get for ESA.
Proosed income:- ESA 4669.60
Housing Benefit 6760.00
Ask DS for lodgings 1560.00 (£30 a week?)
Total£12989.60

Expenditure:-
Water Rates £660.00
Electric £1040.00 (including old debt)
Gas 390.00 (Old house debt)
Logs 165.00
Mobiles 204.00 (included cost for 5 peoples connection)
Rent 6000.00
BT/internet 732.00 (Seems high,? Have to check that one)EEk it had to go up!
TV Lic 146.16
Car Maint 120.00 (DS mechanic apprentice!!!)
Petrol 1043.57 (No bus service and no shops in village)
Road Tax 120.00
Clothing 60.00
Groceries 1080.00
Gifts 120.00
CarInsurance 217.00
Contents ins 78.72
Toiletries 60.00

Misc/emergency funds/contingencies etc etc £753.15so this has gone down too
Total Expenses £12989.60

No doubt I will struggle to keep to this, but its a start. I will have to cut the use of the car down by half!
Now It is time for me to go to bed.

Savvy_sewing

Well have been Awake for about 2 hours now. Been writing some emails. etc.Not feeling quite so sore now. So I am going to take a walk down to the coffee shop, in the village hall, for a bit of tea and cake £1 donation, (I didnt add that into next years budget... See I am going to be finding it hard!).
Then I am going to blitz the kitchen. Had planned to do that before I went, but didnt realise the time.! It just goes so fast.
Not heard anything from any of the family yet. Wonder whats instore?
Its foul weather out there. Need to dig out an old coat and not use my winter white one, or it will need cleaning all too soon.! (But it does make me feel good, as I have had lots of good comments about it when I wear it!).

Errata

BT/internet 576.00 (Seems high,? Have to check that one)

I think you do, it looks very wrong

Groceries 1080.00

However good a cook you are, you will have a struggle to feed two people on only £20 a week, especially as your son will be a hardworking, growing lad. Do you think you need to have another think about this ?

HTH and enjoy your coffee morning

Savvy_sewing

Back from the coffee morning. They did ask if I was staying to lunch,but thats another £3.50 so I declined.
I am hoping that if DS is going to be going away regularly on an all expenses paid training every month, that I will be able to save then.
I have usally been quite good at feeding a large family on not a lot. When there was 8 of us living at home,(Minus the baby milk), my budget was £60- £65 a week.
So although I have not worked it out on current shopping, I am hoping that things will even out. The last big shopping I had delivered from Mr A,was over a month ago, and I am only now running out of the basics. And that came in under£40!
Right I better go and clear some cupboards and get some of the surfaces clearer.So I can start to do some proper cooking.
(The dull weather actually makes me want to just curl up in bed with abook, or similar, but I really cannot carry on with everything covering theworktop any longer.)

Savvy_sewing

Well I have done the best I can, cleared out all the bottom cupboards, moved one shelf, and rearranged all the contents. See if it will work better, an I have put the the deep fat fryer away. I have taken a few other things out of the cupboards and they are now in the dining room waiting for a new home. I have a reclete machine, but I cannot find the wire for it!. I hope that when I am able I will be able to clear out the utility side. (It has boxes of all sorts of things, and a tupperware full of curry powder and star anis, cinnamon, etc etc from when I used to make curries from scratch in the pub. So not the freshest of ingredients, but they seem to still have flavour).
I have had to stop now, get the logs in and light the fire. DS is still in Towcester, he is hoping one of his friends is going to give him a lift home later. I was going to use mince for tea, but I am not sure it is worth it tonight. It will just about keep until tomorrow. Then I can turn it into a Shepherds Pie, and Biggest of Mooloo normally comes over for her meal. That reminds me, she has still got two of my dishes from the last time I made one!. So perhaps we will have a quick pasta meal when he comes in.
Sitting in the sittingroom, the fire is blazing away nicely now, and the wind and rain is howling around the cottage. So I have had to put the lights on. Reminds me that I need to think about some candle style economy bulbs to save.
My lighting in here is three wall lights, two double and one single. I was wondering if I could take one of the bulbs out of each of the doubles? Does anyone know if that would be safe? Would it save Electric? I suppose it must if the bulb isnt in. Sorry if I come over as a bit thick here, but I am not sure how it works.
DS is still waiting for another phone call from DAF to give him any more information. He thinks he will be on £100. I have said that I will need around the £30 a week from him, and possibly more, i.e. fuel costs if I have to drive him about.
He didnt seem to mind/say much.
I am absolutely shattered now. Back and arms are screaming at me to stop.
I have been naughty and put the hot water on. I shall indulge in a hot bubble bath as my luxury for doing the cupboards out.

minimoneysaver

Maybe if your son is going to be eating at home and taking a sandwich to work for lunch he should consider giving a bit more money than £30. What's happening with the moped?

Errata

Just playing devil's advocate here:
Would it make more sense and be fairer to both of you to negotiate his contribution to each bit of running around you do with/for him ?
You may be able to feed him at home on £10 pw, but he will need something to eat at morning and afternoon breaks, and as he'll be doing a blue collar job he might need more refuelling than in the past.


And yes, I think you can safely take a bulb out of the doubles, although the savings won't be that significant.

HTH